Month: February 2020

Federal authorities from both sides of the border found a cartel tunnel under construction. It was designed to go under the streets of Nogales, Sonora, and connect with its sister city in Arizona.

The discovery took place this week when Mexican National Guardsmen working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection found a house on the Mexican side where a tunnel was being dug. The tunnel is approximately 580 yards away from the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry, a statement by CBP revealed.

The tunnel was dug by hand and had no lighting or ventilation. The structure ran 15-20 feet deep under the streets of Nogales, running 30 feet end-to-end.

According to CBP, the tunnel is the 126^th structure of its kind discovered since 1990 and the second unfinished tunnel this year.

In January, federal authorities found a working tunnel described as the longest to date under the California-Mexico border. That tunnel started in Tijuana, Baja California, near an industrial district located west of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and stretched 4,309 feet.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Potential treatments

• The anitviral drug remdesivir:

An existing antiviral drug, remdesivir, is showing signs of helping to treat this new coronavirus, the World Health Organization has said.

Participants will receive 200 milligrams of remdesivir intravenously when they’re enrolled and another 100 while they’re hospitalized for up to 10 days in total. A placebo group will receive a solution that resembles remdesivir but contains only inactive ingredients, the NIH said.

“We will know reasonably soon whether it works. And if it does, we will then have an effective therapy to distribute,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Wednesday.

One will be for about 400 patients with severe symptoms. The other will be for about 600 patients with more moderate symptoms. The study will look at the effectiveness of different dosing durations: Patients in both groups will receive the drug for either five or 10 days.

Potential vaccines

A number of companies around the world say they’ve developed potential vaccines after obtaining genetic information about the virus.

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CNN’s Christine Romans explains why corrections are part of a healthy market.”},{“title”:”Strategist: Amidst a selloff, a diverse portfolio is key”,”duration”:”01:31″,”sourceName”:”CNN Business”,”sourceLink”:”http://www.cnn.com/business”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/business/2020/02/26/kristen-bitterly-diverse-portfolio-market-selloff.cnn-business/index.xml”,”videoId”:”business/2020/02/26/kristen-bitterly-diverse-portfolio-market-selloff.cnn-business”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200226123831-20200226-markets-now-08-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/business/2020/02/26/kristen-bitterly-diverse-portfolio-market-selloff.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-markets-investing/”,”description”:”Citi Private Bank’s Kristen Bitterly explains why investors shouldn’t panic during volatile market swings. “,”descriptionText”:”Citi Private Bank’s Kristen Bitterly explains why investors shouldn’t panic during volatile market swings. “},{“title”:”Why Wall Street underestimated coronavirus concerns”,”duration”:”01:50″,”sourceName”:”CNN Business”,”sourceLink”:”http://www.cnn.com/business”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/business/2020/02/25/wall-street-coronavirus-underestimate-orig.cnn-business/index.xml”,”videoId”:”business/2020/02/25/wall-street-coronavirus-underestimate-orig.cnn-business”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200225121112-07-coronavirus-0224-seoul-south-korea-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/business/2020/02/25/wall-street-coronavirus-underestimate-orig.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-markets-investing/”,”description”:”Global markets are falling as coronavirus fears grow. Here’s how supply chains are being disrupted and what it means for global business.”,”descriptionText”:”Global markets are falling as coronavirus fears grow. Here’s how supply chains are being disrupted and what it means for global business.”},{“title”:”Oil prices slump as coronavirus sparks demand concern”,”duration”:”02:37″,”sourceName”:”CNN Business”,”sourceLink”:””,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/business/2020/02/25/coronavirus-oil-prices.cnn-business/index.xml”,”videoId”:”business/2020/02/25/coronavirus-oil-prices.cnn-business”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200225130422-coronavirus-oil-price-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/business/2020/02/25/coronavirus-oil-prices.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-markets-investing/”,”description”:”Oil prices are under pressure on fears that reduced economic activity will hit demand for energy. CNN’s John Defterios reports. “,”descriptionText”:”Oil prices are under pressure on fears that reduced economic activity will hit demand for energy. CNN’s John Defterios reports. “},{“title”:”Private equity may be bankrupt Pier 1’s only hope”,”duration”:”02:14″,”sourceName”:”CNN Business”,”sourceLink”:”https://www.cnn.com/business”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/business/2020/02/19/pier-1-private-equity.cnn-business/index.xml”,”videoId”:”business/2020/02/19/pier-1-private-equity.cnn-business”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200219134420-pier-1-private-equity-00014818-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/business/2020/02/19/pier-1-private-equity.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-markets-investing/”,”description”:”Pier 1 joins a long list of retails struggling in the digital age. CNN Business’ Paul R. La Monica explains what’s next.”,”descriptionText”:”Pier 1 joins a long list of retails struggling in the digital age. CNN Business’ Paul R. La Monica explains what’s next.”},{“title”:”Strategist: Election could trigger ‘long overdue’ correction”,”duration”:”01:37″,”sourceName”:”CNN Business”,”sourceLink”:”https://www.cnn.com/business”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/business/2020/02/19/election-market-correction-david-kelly.cnn-business/index.xml”,”videoId”:”business/2020/02/19/election-market-correction-david-kelly.cnn-business”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200219124434-20200219-markets-now-05-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/business/2020/02/19/election-market-correction-david-kelly.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-markets-investing/”,”description”:”Stocks are still climbing despite coronavirus fears. But David Kelly, Chief Global Strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds, explains why the 2020 election could eventually cause a correction.”,”descriptionText”:”Stocks are still climbing despite coronavirus fears. But David Kelly, Chief Global Strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds, explains why the 2020 election could eventually cause a correction.”},{“title”:”Could the market keep climbing for another decade?”,”duration”:”02:02″,”sourceName”:”CNN Business”,”sourceLink”:”http://www.cnn.com/business/”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/business/2020/02/12/bull-market-decade-matt-mccall-markets-now.cnn-business/index.xml”,”videoId”:”business/2020/02/12/bull-market-decade-matt-mccall-markets-now.cnn-business”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181012152054-wall-street-bull-green-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/business/2020/02/12/bull-market-decade-matt-mccall-markets-now.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-markets-investing/”,”description”:”While many experts worry about the bull market’s future, Penn Financial Group president Matt McCall explains why he thinks it has another 10 years of growth ahead.”,”descriptionText”:”While many experts worry about the bull market’s future, Penn Financial Group president Matt McCall explains why he thinks it has another 10 years of growth ahead.”},{“title”:”Why the market could weather coronavirus fears”,”duration”:”01:39″,”sourceName”:”CNN Business”,”sourceLink”:”http://www.cnn.com/business”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/business/2020/02/05/binky-chadha-coronavirus-growth-markets-now.cnn-business/index.xml”,”videoId”:”business/2020/02/05/binky-chadha-coronavirus-growth-markets-now.cnn-business”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190813100232-01-nyse-0812-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/business/2020/02/05/binky-chadha-coronavirus-growth-markets-now.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-markets-investing/”,”description”:”Deutsche Bank Chief Global strategist Binky Chadha explains why the market rally is being driven by an expectation of a rebound in growth.”,”descriptionText”:”Deutsche Bank Chief Global strategist Binky Chadha explains why the market rally is being driven by an expectation of a rebound in growth.”},{“title”:”Chinese stocks see worst day in years”,”duration”:”01:39″,”sourceName”:”CNN Business”,”sourceLink”:””,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/business/2020/02/03/china-markets-economy-coronavirus.cnn-business/index.xml”,”videoId”:”business/2020/02/03/china-markets-economy-coronavirus.cnn-business”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200202084419-coronavirus-beijing-0102-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/business/2020/02/03/china-markets-economy-coronavirus.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-markets-investing/”,”description”:”The Shanghai Composite and the Shenzhen Component Index plunged on their first day of trading after an extended Lunar New Year holiday. The losses wiped out a combined $445 billion in market value.”,”descriptionText”:”The Shanghai Composite and the Shenzhen Component Index plunged on their first day of trading after an extended Lunar New Year holiday. The losses wiped out a combined $445 billion in market value.”},{“title”:”Portfolio manager: Passive investing has become a Ponzi scheme”,”duration”:”01:32″,”sourceName”:”CNN Business”,”sourceLink”:”http://www.cnn.com/business”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/business/2020/01/29/markets-now-passive-investing.cnn-business/index.xml”,”videoId”:”business/2020/01/29/markets-now-passive-investing.cnn-business”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200129131318-markets-now-passive-investing-00002316-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/business/2020/01/29/markets-now-passive-investing.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-markets-investing/”,”description”:”Rupal J. Bhansali of Ariel Investments explains why she thinks a big comeback for active investing is on the horizon. “,”descriptionText”:”Rupal J. Bhansali of Ariel Investments explains why she thinks a big comeback for active investing is on the horizon. “},{“title”:”Strategist predicts another year of double digit gains for stocks”,”duration”:”01:48″,”sourceName”:”CNN Business”,”sourceLink”:”http://www.cnn.com/business”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/business/2020/01/22/markets-now-alicia-levine-stocks.cnn-business/index.xml”,”videoId”:”business/2020/01/22/markets-now-alicia-levine-stocks.cnn-business”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200122131437-markets-now-alicia-levine-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/business/2020/01/22/markets-now-alicia-levine-stocks.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-markets-investing/”,”description”:”Alicia Levine, Chief Strategist for BNY Mellon, explains why she doesn’t think the market is overvalued.”,”descriptionText”:”Alicia Levine, Chief Strategist for BNY Mellon, explains why she doesn’t think the market is overvalued.”},{“title”:”Here’s how the market may predict the next president”,”duration”:”01:04″,”sourceName”:”CNN Business”,”sourceLink”:”http://www.cnn.com/business”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/business/2020/01/15/market-predicts-election-year-sam-stovall.cnn-business/index.xml”,”videoId”:”business/2020/01/15/market-predicts-election-year-sam-stovall.cnn-business”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200115105042-20200115-markets-now-08-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/business/2020/01/15/market-predicts-election-year-sam-stovall.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-markets-investing/”,”description”:”Ahead of the 2020 election, Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research, explains why the performance of the market can predict elections and what that means for investors.”,”descriptionText”:”Ahead of the 2020 election, Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research, explains why the performance of the market can predict elections and what that means for investors.”},{“title”:”Truist might be the largest bank you’ve never heard of “,”duration”:”03:23″,”sourceName”:”CNN Business”,”sourceLink”:””,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/business/2019/12/12/truist-suntrust-bbt-ceo-kelly-king-orig.cnn-business/index.xml”,”videoId”:”business/2019/12/12/truist-suntrust-bbt-ceo-kelly-king-orig.cnn-business”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/191212114952-truist-kelly-king-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/business/2019/12/12/truist-suntrust-bbt-ceo-kelly-king-orig.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-markets-investing/”,”description”:”CEO Kelly King tells CNN Business about new bank Truist, a result of the merger between SunTrust and BB&T, and about his changing attitude toward banking reform.”,”descriptionText”:”CEO Kelly King tells CNN Business about new bank Truist, a result of the merger between SunTrust and BB&T, and about his changing attitude toward banking reform.”},{“title”:”The moral dilemma of doing business in China, explained”,”duration”:”02:50″,”sourceName”:”CNN Business”,”sourceLink”:”http://www.cnn.com/business”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/business/2019/11/08/china-influence-on-american-companies-orig.cnn-business/index.xml”,”videoId”:”business/2019/11/08/china-influence-on-american-companies-orig.cnn-business”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181016143937-101618-china-tech-companies-gfx-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/business/2019/11/08/china-influence-on-american-companies-orig.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-markets-investing/”,”description”:”From airlines to the NBA, CNN’s Christine Romans explains why American companies often end up compromising on moral positions to appease China.”,”descriptionText”:”From airlines to the NBA, CNN’s Christine Romans explains why American companies often end up compromising on moral positions to appease China.”}],’js-video_headline-featured-3ahrou’,”,”js-video_source-featured-3ahrou”,true,true,’business-markets-investing’);if (typeof configObj.context !== ‘string’ || configObj.context.length

The head of Nigeria’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says the country is more than capable of dealing with coronavirus as Africa’s most populous nation records the first case in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Ihekweazu told CNN the Italian patient who arrived in the country with the virus is currently stable and “has mild to moderate symptoms.”

“We are very hopeful for his full recovery,” said Ihekweazu, an epidemiologist who was appointed CEO of the NCDC in 2016 and has been credited with transforming the organization.

According to Ihekweazu, the man was screened on arrival at the airport, however he presented no symptoms at the time, which is why the temperature scanners at the airport did not detect him.

“Screening is not a fool-proof method as the virus has an incubation period of four to five days,” he added.

Nigerian officials say the patient arrived in Lagos on Tuesday and became ill the next day, but physicians who examined him contacted the NCDC after asking him about his travel history.

“He had astute physicians,” Ihekweazu said. “The doctor got in touch with us when he found out he had just come from Milan, we collected a sample, tested it and isolated him in a facility in Lagos that manages infectious diseases.” 

Ihekweazu points to the speed with which Nigeria identified and confined the patient as a sign the country is prepared to deal with the outbreak.

“The system worked. We identified this case, diagnosed and isolated within 48 hours of it entering the country. In other countries like Iran and Italy for instance, by the time the first case had been confined, there was widespread contact.” 

He said the government is now racing to identify all the passengers on the plane and all the people he may have come in contact with the man who was working as a consultant in Ogun State, around 100 km outside of Lagos.

President Donald Trump is hoping for a “miracle” that will make the coronavirus disappear but tanking stock markets and signs the disease is stalking America are delivering their verdict on his scattershot management of the crisis.

A historic Wall Street sell off, the first case on US soil that could not be traced to travel to countries battling the virus, and news of drug shortages outpaced White House efforts to show everything was under control.

“It’s going to disappear. One day it’s like a miracle, it will disappear,” Trump said at the White House Thursday as the virus marched across Asia and Europe after US officials said the US should brace for severe disruption to everyday life.

Controlling the narrative: An order for public health officials to clear all television appearances with the White House meanwhile raised the question of whether Trump will prioritize science as the threat from coronavirus rises or his own political standing. Meanwhile, sources told CNN that all media appearances have to now be cleared with Pence’s office. The move could deprive Americans of sober, science-based advice from some of the best public health experts in the world.

Whistleblower: In a shocking report, The Washington Post revealed that health officials met Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the disease without proper training or protective gear, according to a whistleblower account.

California cases: California is monitoring 8,400 people for the virus and an announcement that the state has already confirmed its first case of community transmission further shook public confidence.

Contradictions: CNN has reported that Trump has been angered that government health experts have contradicted his attempts to downplay the threat from the virus by saying it is all but “inevitable” the US will be affected and there will be severe disruption.

Read the full analysis here.

Being able to finally talk about what happened is a relief for Bailey, but it’s also been bittersweet, her attorney Jason C. N. Smith told CNN on Thursday.

“She is glad to finally be able to speak about this,” Smith said. “She’s talked about how she’s a gay teacher, a dedicated gay teacher, and they put her through a lot of pain, but she is hopeful that some of the provisions of the settlement will make Mansfield ISD a more tolerant place for LGBTQ people.”

Bailey taught for 10 years at Charlotte Anderson Elementary School in Arlington, Smith said. The teacher was transferred to Lake Ridge High School, which is in the same school district, at the end of the 2018 school year. She is still at Lake Ridge.

The district’s school board agreed to the settlement terms on Monday.

“The Mansfield ISD School Board has voted on an agreement to settle the case in question in an amicable and beneficial manner,” Donald Williams, associate superintendent of communications and marketing, said in a statement.

“All parties deny any wrongdoing or liability, but wish to resolve their disputes to avoid the time, expense, stress and other impacts of continuing litigation, which would interfere with the mission of educating the students of MISD.”

Bailey argued she was discriminated against and her constitutional rights were violated. The school district said the teacher refused to follow administration directions “regarding age-appropriate conversations with students” about sexual orientation.

Beyond the mandatory LGBTQ training, optional training will be offered to administrators, staff, teachers or parents who would like to attend, according to settlement documents.

The settlement also requires the school district to provide Bailey with a “neutral” letter of recommendation.

As the Supreme Court is considering cases based on sexual orientation that may affect the district board’s policies, the board of trustees will consider adopting a policy barring discrimination of teachers and students based on sexual orientation within 60 days of the end of the court’s term, the settlement says.

“I think this settlement was a win-win for Stacy, the educators and the students of Mansfield ISD,” Smith said. “The judge in this case ruled that gay teachers are protected by the Constitution. That’s a precedent that will protect every gay teacher in this country.”

Smith said that Bailey hopes other teachers will also be more open and be their genuine selves.

“Stacy has encouraged other teachers to live their truth and openly be who they are in the classroom so they can be better people and better teachers,” Smith said.

Bailey and her wife, Julie Vazquez, were married in March 2018, Smith said.

The coronavirus outbreak is continuing to spread across the globe, with cases reported in every continent except Antartica.

In Asia, South Korea reached a grim milestone on Friday of more than 2,000 cases.

The latest numbers: There are more than 83,000 cases around the world, including over 2,850 deaths. The vast majority of these are in mainland China, which has reported 78,824 cases and 2,788 deaths.

The deaths: Outside of mainland China, 70 virus-related deaths have been recorded:

South Korea spike: The East Asian country has the most confirmed coronavirus cases outside of mainland China, totaling 2,022. It has reported 13 deaths. Many of the cases are linked to a religious group in the country’s south.

More cases in Italy: At least 650 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Italy, officials said. Across Europe, at least 11 countries now have confirmed cases of the virus, with many of the patients having visited the Lombardy region at the center of Italy’s outbreak.

Stock market plunge: US stocks again sold off sharply as coronavirus fears mounted. The Dow closed down 1,191 points, or 4.4% — the worst one-day point drop in history. The index has now lost 3,226 points this week.

Saudi Arabia bans some pilgrimages: Saudi Arabia has suspended pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina for people outside the country over coronavirus fears. For context, a wholesale temporary ban on foreign visits to the holy sites is a first in living memory. 

Coronavirus in Africa: Nigeria confirmed its first case of coronavirus on Thursday in Lagos state. Nigeria is the third African nation to report the virus, the others are Egypt and Algeria which both have one case each.

Earlier in the week, Trump had privately told allies he was close to taking the coronavirus response efforts out of the hands of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, two sources familiar with the matter said.

The Pence decision was made shortly before the news conference and came as a shock to Azar, according to a senior Republican official. Pence, a frequent defender of Azar during his rocky relationship with the President, had agreed to step in, though there didn’t appear to be much of a choice. Senior people who work for the vice president were caught by surprise by the announcement, according to one official who spoke to CNN.

For weeks, some of Trump’s aides and allies have tried to impress upon him the seriousness of the coronavirus situation, warning him of the threat to the global economy and — by proxy — his reelection prospects, according to people familiar with the conversations.

Motivated by devastating losses on Wall Street, Trump finally decided to heed that advice. Yet it’s unclear how much it helped.

His instincts led him to downplay the seriousness of the threat once again on Wednesday, undermining the predictions of his own top health officials standing behind him, and fueling concern over his administration’s ability to coordinate a response to a complicated problem.

The financial fallout has also gotten worse.

One House Republican told CNN the falling stock market “was the only metric you needed to look at to see how poorly that was handled.”

“We trust the President, but we really trust the President’s experts. It would be a lot better if publicly they were more aligned,” the member said.

Biggest governing challenge

Interviews with more than 20 sources across Washington — including lawmakers, White House officials, health experts and diplomats — paint a picture of deep concern over the widening coronavirus outbreak and the Trump administration’s readiness to handle the crisis.

As recently as last week, Trump was telling confidants that he doesn’t foresee the virus making a big impact in the US. And on Wednesday he repeated his belief that it could be slowed by warmer weather, despite no evidence to support the claim.

Now the White House is confronting what some officials describe as the biggest governing challenge of Trump’s presidency. Mindful that a botched response would spell potential political ruin, efforts have scaled up rapidly in the past several days, and one official said the response was nearing an all-consuming endeavor.

For the past month, there have been daily coronavirus meetings in the White House Situation Room. Yet it’s unclear how effective they have been.

One person familiar with the discussions said the attendees at the meetings were often at a loss for how to solve the problems associated with the coronavirus, and for weeks were focused primarily on ways to prevent anyone infected or definitively exposed to the disease — including American citizens — from traveling to the US.

Officials have delivered topline numbers and broad-strokes information about the outbreak without delving into nitty-gritty specifics, a person familiar with the matter said, believing Trump to be uninterested in deeply detailed updates.

Some officials have blamed the cursory briefings for a breakdown in communication that has led to bursts of outrage by the President, who has complained he’s been kept out of the loop on key decisions regarding potentially infected Americans returning to the US.

There is evidence things are improving. Speaking to CNN on Thursday, one government official working with the White House on its coronavirus response said, “There has been a sea of change since yesterday,” noting that the situation had gone from zero communication to multiple conversations on Thursday.

This official noted that while the White House still didn’t seem to have a full communications plan in place, it was reaching out to get an understanding of what was needed, including giving regular updates on travel.

State Department officials remain on edge, given how unpredictable Trump is and that he is a known germophobe, according to a source familiar with the situation. Some predict he will suddenly make a rash decision, such as barring incoming flights with people who could be infected.

Some US diplomats stationed overseas in countries where there are coronavirus cases are asking to come home, two sources say.

Pence effect

Several people close to Pence fear that his appointment could spell political disaster for the vice president, putting him in an impossible position given health experts’ warning that the virus will spread more in the US before the situation improves.

“Trump put Pence in because he thinks Pence will f— it up,” a Trump adviser said, describing some of the fears already being expressed by people close to the vice president.

But one GOP official noted Pence has credibility on Capitol Hill, a factor that could settle anxious lawmakers. “I think people trust Pence,” the official said.

It’s unclear whether Pence, who has numerous campaign-related events in the coming weeks, will remain in Washington to coordinate or keep his campaign schedule.

On Thursday, Pence made a few additions to the Coronavirus Task Force, including economic adviser Larry Kudlow and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. He also appointed Deborah L. Birx as White House coronavirus response coordinator.

Birx, an American physician and diplomat who serves as ambassador-at-large and as US global AIDS coordinator, was appointed to her current job during the Obama administration. According to a source familiar with her situation, Birx was able to develop a close relationship with the Trump White House, in part because a Trump campaign official, Matt Mowers, became her chief of staff and remained in that role for almost two years.

Brix has overhauled the HIV strategy for the Trump administration, and in 2018 she and Pence developed a relationship when she spoke at the World AIDS Day event at the White House.

Brix did not ask for this job — the White House came to her, sources said.

Continued economic impact

The animating fear for Trump will likely be the continued economic fallout from the coronavirus. The economy has slowed with each successive year of the President’s term, as his tax cuts have failed to sparked sustained business investment and his trade war has inhibited it. That places the economic expansion at the mercy of consumers and their continued confidence.

The peril for Trump is that the coronavirus could yet tip the economy into recession. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, currently puts odds of a 2020 recession at even money but says it would become probable if the crisis swells to a global pandemic.

An American president has not sought reelection during a recession since Jimmy Carter in 1980. Carter lost in a landslide to Ronald Reagan.

Whether Trump understands the magnitude of that risk in unclear. If inveterate optimists on his team, like Kudlow, haven’t warned him of that, one senior White House official expressed hope that outside voices can.

“Such warnings are on TV all the time,” the senior official said, “so I imagine he’s picked that up.”

The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a simple message for Americans: No, you shouldn’t be afraid.

During a House Foreign Affairs hearing, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan asked CDC Director Robert Redfield a number of rapid-fire questions about what Americans should do as coronavirus spreads.

Houlahan said she wanted to ask simple questions, “for the human beings who are at home, for my kids, my family members, my community.”  

Redfield’s answers were equally simple.

Here’s the full exchange:

Houlahan: Should people be afraid?

Redfield: No.

Houlahan: Should people engage in regular handwashing and coughing into their sleeves?

Redfield: Absolutely.

Houlahan: Should people be stocking up on cleaning supplies?

Redfield: No.

Houlahan: Should people be stocking up on prescription medicines that they have?

Redfield: Not at this time.

Houlahan: Should people be stocking up on food supply?

Redfield: Not at this time.

Houlahan: Should you wear a mask if you are healthy?

Redfield: No.

Houlahan: Is there a website where people can go to access good information about these questions?

Redfield: Yes, absolutely, CDC.gov.

When asked if Houlahan missed anything, Redfield took the time to add: “We need to make sure those N95 masks are available for the doctors and nurses that are going to be taking care of individuals that have this illness. And it really does displease me, to find people going out, there is no role for these masks in the community.” 

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